Welcome to New Music Friday, our weekly guide to the African releases worth your time. Here’s what we’ve had on repeat this week.
Blaqbonez: NOMADINHO: 4TH PRIME
A 15-track album from the Lagos rapper, featuring Asake on “Chanel” and Igwe Aka on “I LOVE THIS”. It arrives only six months after the deluxe edition of No Excuses.
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 feat. Tom Morello: “Na Dem”
Classic Afrobeat with a twist: the Rage Against the Machine guitarist arrives late in the track and steals the ending.
Gyakie: “Your Body (Crazy)”
The Ghanaian singer teams up with producer AfroLektra on a smooth new single.
Pheelz: “Cash Rules Everything Around Us”
Pheelz reaches back to Fuji, borrowing the genre’s breakdowns for one of the more inventive records of the week.
Darque feat. Zee Nxumalo: “Ke Mang”
From Open Your Eyes More, the deluxe version of Darque’s Open Your Eyes EP. Minimal, hypnotic Afro-tech from South Africa.
Cruel Santino feat. Zaylevelten: “Big Drop”
Built like a mixtape, with rewinds and voiceovers. Santino doing what Santino does.
Solana: “O rí mi”
A new single produced by longtime collaborator Killertunes, with 80s-inspired sounds.
Etuk Ubong: “Ayaya”
The trumpeter blends Afrobeat with jazz and highlife.
Marla Kether: Luso EP
Five bass-heavy electronic tracks, including two new ones, “Libera” and “A Jam in Paranoá”.
Got a track we should hear? Tag us on socials. Hat tip to OkayAfrica’s weekly roundup.
